Nestable article



Feb. 25, 1964 P. DAVIS NESTABLE ARTICLE Filed Feb. 9, 1962 FIGZINVENTOR.

- PAUL DAVIS BY W W;

ATTOR N EYS 3,122,264 NESTABLE ARTICLE Paul Davis, Beverly, Mass,assiguor to Sweetheart Plastics, Inc., a corporation of Maryland FiledFeb. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 172,315 7 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) This inventionrelates to container covers and more particularly comprises a new andimproved disposable plastic lid for drinking cups, which stacks or nestswith like lids.

To reduce the unit cost of throw away items such as plastic cups andcovers, such items are made of very thin thermoplastic materials whichare quite flexible. While such material does not interfere with theperformance of the primary function of the items, it does produceproblems in the handling of such items in builk.

' For example, when the articles are stacked or nested together, theirflexible character often causes one article to bind upon the adjacentnested article so that the two do not readily separate. When this occursit interferes with the operation of automatic feeding mechanisms used inpackaging equipment and the dispensing of such articles in vendingmachines.

One important object of this invention is to provide a cover or lid ofthe type used as closures for cups and similar containers, which nestswithout binding on other like lids.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a disposablelid for drinking cups, which sits firmly without tipping on the top ofan identical lid so that a reasonably steady stack is produced by aseries of nested lids.

To accomplish these and other objects, the lid of this invention isprovided with a side wall and a surrounding skirt joined together attheir tops by a horizontal flange. Formed on the skirt at its peripheryare inwardly extending protuberances that seat on the flange of a likelid disposed beneath them. The protuberances are spaced from the outersurface of the side wall a distance less than the radial width of theflange which ioins the skirt and side wall so that the flange of one liddoes not fit into the space between the skirt and flange of the nextupper lid in the stack.

These and other objects and features of this invention along with itsincident advantages, will be better understood and appreciated from thefollowing detailed description of two embodiments thereof, selected forpurposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which:a

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lid constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the lid shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the corresponding sectionline in FIG. 1 and showing the manner in which the lid serves as aclosure for a cup;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a stack of lidsconstructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG, 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating the manner inwhich the formation of the lids resists wcdging of one lid withinanother; and- FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a stack oflids constructed in accordance with another embodiment of thisinvention.

3,122,264 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 The lid illustrated in the drawingincludes a bottom wall 10, a side wall 12, an upper horizontal flange14, a skirt 16 and flange support 18. These parts make up a lid which isadapted to fit within the mouth 20 formed by the side walls 22 of a cup23 or other container, to form a seal with the interior of the containerand enclose and/or form an additional seal with the container rim 24.

The bottom wall 10 which may be smooth or alternately be provided withsome form of seat or lip to engage the bottom of a cup stacked upon it,is joined to the side wall 12 by a bead 26 adapted to fit within therecess 28 in the wall 22 of the cup to seal the container mouth. Thelower portion 29 of side wall 12 extends upwardly and outwardly from thehead 26, and the wall turns at bend 30 to provide a cylindrical section32 immediately beneath flange 14. The inner diameter of the cylindricalportion 32 of the side wall is greater than the outer diameter of thehead 26 so that the bead of one lid may he slipped within the side wallof another lid beneath it. It will be noted in FIG. 4 that the diameterof the cylindrical portion 32 of each side wall is such that itcomfortably receives the head of the next upper lid in the stack.

The cylindrical portion 32 of the side wall is joined to the flange 14in a relatively sharp corner 34, and the skirt 16 is similarly joined tothe outer edge of the flange 14 at sharp corner 36. As the skirt 16 andthe cylindrical section 32 are disposed normal to the lid axis, theyform right angles with the flange 14.

The outer taper of the portion 29 of side wall 12 in an upward directionfrom the bead 26 preferably is the same as or less than the taper of thecontainer wall 22 at its mouth 20. If the taper is the same as the mouth20 of the container, then the portion 29 may contact the container wallover a substantial distance, and this engage-.

ment plus the fimi contact between the bead 26 and the recess 28 willprovide a most satisfactory closure. This closure may be furtherenhanced by contact of the lower face of flange 14 and the inner surfaceof the skirt 16 with the rim 24 of the container 23 at the two pointsshown in FIG. 3.

Formed in the lower end of the skirt 16 at supporting flange 18 are aplurality of inwardly extending protuberances 42 which narrow theeflective inner diameter of the skirt 16 at its bottom. While in thedrawing the protuberances are shown to be confined to the lower portion40 of the skirt l6 and to be spaced about the skirt, the protuberancesmay extend upwardly over a substantial part or the full height of theskirt 16 and may form a continuous bead about the entire lower portion.

As shown in FIG. 4 the supporting flange 18'and particularly thatportion of the flange which forms the bottom or lower end of theprotuberances 42 literally support the lid in which they are formed onthe lid below, and particularly On that lids outer edge of flange 14 atthe sharp corner 36. When one lid is placed upon another, the outerportion of the top flange 14 forms a seat for the protuberances andlower supporting flange 18 and firmly supports the lid above it. It willbe noted that when a lid is supported in that manner upon the the nextlower lid in a stack the head 26 of each lid does not engage the wall 12of the next lower lid but rather is spaced 2. short distance from it. Itis desirable that the bead 26 be spaced from the wall 12 when the lidsare stacked so as to cause the entire support for the lids to bedependent upon the engagement of the protuberances and supportingflanges with the upper flanges of the next lower lid. When supported inthis manner a very stable column results and no tipping of the lids isexperienced, as does occur when the bead 26 forms the contacting orsupporting element with the inner inclined wall of the next lower lid.

In FIG. 5 the manner in which the special configuration of the lidopposes or prevents an interlocking of nested lids is shown. It will benoted that the horizontal flange 14 of the lower lid A cannot fit withinand therefore be bound by the side wall 12 and the skirt 16 of the upperlid B in the stack. The flange 14 cannot fit within the region of theside wall and skirt of the next upper lid because the width of theflange 14 exceeds the gap between the outer surface of the side wall 12and the innermost points of the protuberances 42. Thus, even when theupper lid B is markedly tilted as suggested in FIG. 5 the sharp corners34 and 36 which define the limits of the horizontal flange 14 interferewith the insertion of the flange into the region between the side walland skirt by 1 bearing against the outer surface of the side wall andthe innermost point of the protuberances. Only by a substantial pressurewhich would likely permanently deform the lids can the lids becomelocked or bend one upon another in any way so as to prevent one lid fromdropping from the next upper lid when external support is removed fromit. It should also be appreciated that only under extraordinaryconditions can lids be disposed angularly in the relative position shownin FIG. 5 as there is no tendency for the lids to tip in any way becausethey are supported in a prescribed parallel relationship at the flangesand protuberances.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the protuberances formed on the bottom ofthe skirtof the lids in the preferred embodiment are replaced by similarprotuberances on the top of the skirt at the corner joining the skirtand flange.

Otherwise, the embodiments may be identical. Thus, each lid 60 shown inFIG. 6 includes a side wall 62 having an upper vertical section 64 and alower inclined portion 66, a horizontal flange 68, and a skirt 70. Theprotuberances 72 formed at the corner joining the skirt and flangedefine a seat for the lower edge of the skirt or supporting flange 74 ofthe next upper lid in the nest. The relative relationship of the lids inthe nest is the same as that of the preferred embodiment and theprotuberances 72 may be spaced or form a continuous bead about theskirt.

While the embodiment of FIG. 6 functionally produces the same results asthe preferred embodiment of this invention, it does have certainlimitations particularly in the manufacturing operation. For example,when the lid is formed on a die, some difficulty may be encountered inremoving the lid after it is formed because the protruding segments ofthe die which initially shape the protuberances 72 will interfere withthe withdrawal of the skirt. The protruding portions of the die maystretch the skirt or otherwise cause some deformation.

The thickness of the lid stock is approximately .010 inch, and is aflexible thermoplastic such as polystyrene. The size of theprotuberances is that which may be achieved without incurring permanentdeformation of the lid when it iswithdrawn from the mold on which thelid is formed. It is suggested that the size approach the maximum as thegreater the size of the protuberances the greater the supporting contactbetween the adjacent nested lids at their periphery.

Having described this invention in detail, those skilled in the art willappreciate that numerous modifications may be made of this inventionwithout departing from its spirit, and that the invention may beincorporated into articles of manufacture such as cups and containers aswell as lids. Therefore, it is not intended that the breadth of thisinvention be determined by the two embodiments illustrated anddescribed. Rather, the breadth of this invention is to be determinedby'the appended claims and their equivalents.

Cit

What is claimed is:

1. A lid for containers comprising a bottom wall,

a side wall joined to the periphery of the bottom wall,

a bead formed at the junction of the side and bottom wall,

said side wall being upwardly and outwardly flared with its horizontalspan at its bottom being less than the span of the bead and with itshorizontal span at its top being greater than the span of the bead,

an outer skirt spaced from and surrounding the side wall and joined withthe side wall at the top,

said skirt having a vertical height greater than the vertical distancebetween the bottom of the flared side wall and the level of the sidewall where its inner horizontal span is equal to the span of the bead,

and inwardly extending protuberances formed on the bottom of the skirtand lying closer at their innermost points to the outer surface of theside wall horizontally opposite said protuberances than the distancebetween the outer surface of the skirt and the inner surface of the sidewall at their tops.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a bottom wall,

a side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall,

an outwardly extending flange formed at the top of the side wall,

a depending skirt secured to the outer edge of the flange,

and inwardly extending means disposed on the skirt and adapted to restupon the flange of a like lid beneath it when the lids are nestedtogether in parallel planes,

said means and outer surface of the side wall at points horizontallyopposite one another lying closer together than the width of the flange.

3. A lid comprising a bottom wall,

a side wall extending upwardly and outwardly from the periphery of thebottom wall and having an inner diametcr at the top larger than theouter diameter of the junction of the bottom and side walls,

a downwardly extending skirt joined to the top of the side wall by anoutwardly extending flange,

and inwardly extending protuberances provided on the bottom of the skirtand adapted to support the lid upon a like lid disposed beneath it withthe bottom wall of the lid and a like lid in parallel planes and withthe side wall of the lid lying within and free of contact with the sidewall of said like lid beneath it,

the space between the protuberances and the outer surface of the sidewall horizontally opposite one another being less than the horizontalwidth of the flange.

4. A lid as defined in claim 3 further characterized by the upperportion of the side wall and the skirt being disposed normal to thebottom wall.

5. A lid as defined in claim 3 further characterized by saidprotuberances including a horizontal supporting flange which extendsoutwardly from the innermost portion of the protuberances to a pointbeyond the outer surface of the skirt.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a bottom wall,

a side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall,

an outwardly extending flange formed at the top of the side wall,

a depending skirt secured to the outer edge of the flange,

and means provided in the skirt at one extreme thereof and adapted toengage the opposite extreme of the skirt of a like article nested withit when the bottom walls of the lid are parallel and maintain the sidewalls of the two articles free of contact with one another,

said flange having a greater effective width than the space between thebottom of the skirt and the side wall.

7. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 6 further characterizedby said means comprising outwardly extending protuberances at the upperedge of the skirt where it joins the flange and adapted to engage thelower edge of a skirt of an article nested above it,

said protuberanccs forming part of the effective width of the flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBostrom Dec. 25, 1962

1. A LID FOR CONTAINERS COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL, A SIDE WALL JOINED TOTHE PERIPHERY OF THE BOTTOM WALL, A BEAD FORMED AT THE JUNCTION OF THESIDE AND BOTTOM WALL, SAID SIDE WALL BEING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FLAREDWITH ITS HORIZONTAL SPAN AT ITS BOTTOM BEING LESS THAN THE SPAN OF THEBEAD AND WITH ITS HORIZONTAL SPAN AT ITS TOP BEING GREATER THAN THE SPANOF THE BEAD, AN OUTER SKIRT SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDING THE SIDE WALLAND JOINED WITH THE SIDE WALL AT THE TOP, SAID SKIRT HAVING A VERTICALHEIGHT GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THEFLARED SIDE WALL AND THE LEVEL OF THE SIDE WALL WHERE ITS INNERHORIZONTAL SPAN IS EQUAL TO THE SPAN OF THE BEAD, AND INWARDLY EXTENDINGPROTUBERANCES FORMED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT AND LYING CLOSER ATTHEIR INNERMOST POINTS TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALLHORIZONTALLY OPPOSITE SAID PROTUBERANCES THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEOUTER SURFACE OF THE SKIRT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALL ATTHEIR TOPS.